1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck bed liners, and, more particularly, to a protective truck bed liner which allows a structure positioned in a truck cargo bed to be affixed in position in the truck cargo bed to be supported thereby.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pick-up trucks, long utilized as working vehicles, have, in recent years, become accepted for use as family cars. Pick-up trucks have also, of recent years, gained popularity as sport vehicles. Because of the multiple uses of a pick-up truck, attempts have been made to adapt the same pick-up truck to allow usage as a working vehicle in some instances, and a family car in other instances.
When the pick-up truck is utilized as a working vehicle, the aesthetic appearance of the pick-up truck is of little concern to the user. However, when the same pick-up truck is to be utilized as a family car, or as a sport vehicle, the aesthetic appearance of the pick-up truck is of substantial importance.
Many attempts to adapt the vehicle for dual usage provide some sort of protective layer or liner positioned in the cargo area of the pick-up truck to prevent the cargo area floor and walls from scratches, chips, and dents resulting from haulage of cargo in the truck cargo bed. When so desired, the protective liner may be easily removed from the cargo bed. Numerous truck liners are known in the art including Nix et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,349, Nix U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,768, Nix et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,963, Richardson III U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,098, Ormiston U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,027, Wayne U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,412, Nix et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,481, Carter U S. Pat. No. 4,245,863, Lorenzen, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,473, Wagner U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,214, and Dresen, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,583. Each of the aforementioned patents disclose truck bed liners and/or protective inserts for the truck bed of a pick-up truck.
One disadvantage of a pick-up truck is the lack of storage space in the cab area of the pick-up truck. As a result, portable storage containers are placed in the cargo area of the pick-up truck for allowing the storage therewithin of material. For instance, quite frequently, tool chests are mounted in the cargo area of the pick-up truck to allow the storage therewithin of tools. However, the storage container must be securely attached to the pick-up truck. Otherwise, the storage container may slide about the cargo bed. This oftentimes necessitates the drilling of holes into the sidewalls and/or frontwalls of the truck cargo bed. In the event that a protective liner is also positioned in the truck cargo bed, bores must also be drilled through the truck bed liner to allow the storage container to be securely affixed to the pick-up truck. Such action makes removal of the truck bed liner from the truck cargo area more difficult and burdensome. Portability is a significant feature of many of the aforementioned prior art truck bed liners. Attachment of storage container to the pick-up truck therefore greatly lessens the usefulness of many of the prior art truck bed liners.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a truck bed liner for a pick-up truck which allows a structure to be supported therein, but easily removable therefrom.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a high-strength liner for a cargo bed of a vehicle which protects all surfaces for the cargo bed from impact damage.
It is still a further object liner for a cargo bed of a vehicle which allows structures as simple as a length of wood and as sophisticated as a molded storage container to be firmly supported therein, but easily removable therefrom.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a vehicle cargo bed liner which allows cargo placed in the cargo bed to be secured against movement while situated in the cargo bed.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the attached drawings and description of the invention presented herebelow.